


Equivalent Exchange

by Rinkafic



Series: Magor 'verse [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-03
Updated: 2012-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-03 00:12:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinkafic/pseuds/Rinkafic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look back into the past to a spell Magor Lorne attempted to cast.  This story takes place before the events of <i>L is for Lorne.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Equivalent Exchange

Magor Lorne stood before the Great Ring. He had risked the journey here to the Ancient City of Lantea because this spell could only be cast drawing on the energies of the Great Ring and the power of the city herself.

He had made the journey alone because no one from the Council would join him and he had no apprentice. He had not had one for a very long time, not since the incident. Not that he truly wanted one; apprentices were a burden, a responsibility, an obligation.

Lorne had been hurt once. Once was enough. He did not want to have to think about protecting someone else all the time. He did not want to have to teach, teach, teach and have his every move questioned. That was the responsibility one adopted when one took on an apprentice. He had failed in his obligations once. He had failed so very badly.

He preferred solitude. At least, that was what he told himself, repeatedly, during the long seasons of Storms.

He drew out his marks on the smooth floor before the Great Ring. As he did so, he let himself sink into a quasi-trance, trying to commune with the energies of this ancient place. He felt the answering tickles of the something that encompassed and permeated this place. He sent his intent to do no harm here, hoping the presence was somewhat sentient and could pick up on that.

As he drew, he hummed, enjoying the company of the vague presence of the city.

Just as he was moving into the last quadrant of the design, he heard footsteps. Even as he stood, his personal protection wards went up. He peered around, towards the source of the sound and then sighed as he caught sight of a blonde-haired boy standing on the wide staircase, watching him.

“What are you doing here?” Lorne demanded.

“I want to help. I heard at the Council that you were coming here, heard a rumor you might be trying a Calling.”

“Who are you? I don’t know you, boy.”

The boy obviously did not like his age being pointed out; he puffed out his chest and thumped a thumb against his sternum. “I’m Edward Elric, State Alchemist from Amestris.”

Lorne snorted, he had heard of the lad, as well as his ego and hubris. “Why do you want to help me, Elric? This spell has the potential to kill everyone working it. What is in it for you?”

Stepping forward and tossing his cloak back over one shoulder, Edward held out his arm. “My brother sacrificed himself to make me whole again. I can do no less for him.” He pointed to a motionless dark shape on the floor in the corridor.

Looking over, Lorne recognized the auto mail that had been fashioned to contain the soul of Alphonse Elric after a transmutation spell gone wrong had separated the boy’s soul from his physical body. “Your brother?”

“Yes. His sacrifice helped me defeat the threat to Amestris. But now that the task is done, I need to do whatever I can to try to restore him.”

Sighing heavily, Lorne scratched at the stubble of his beard. “You must know the Law of Equivalent Exchange, Elric, you must know the cost?”

It was the boy’s turn to snort. “I’m a State Alchemist, Magor. And I have far more experience with the Law and the costs than anyone else.” He waggled his metal leg in illustration.

Troubled, Lorne thought this over carefully. The boy knew the potential cost and was willing to pay it. But he was only a boy, one with talent and a full life ahead of himself. He was a boy, and it was Lorne’s obligation as an elder to protect him, even from himself. He should send the boy away.

As the thought and the intent firmed up in his mind and he opened his mouth to say as much, a high-pitched noise burst through the chamber where they stood. A hole opened in the ceiling and Elric was bathed in yellow light. When Lorne tried to touch it, his hand was deflected. Elric pushed at the light but could not move. Some kind of shield held the boy in place.

Stepping back, Lorne looked around the chamber. The tingling he had felt earlier was more intense now. “Are you trying to tell me something? If you want the boy to stay, to continue on with this, release him.”

The light vanished.

“The city wants you to participate, it seems. Very well. The ingredients are in my bag there. While I finish the last of the chalking, would you mix a sulfur base in one bowl and an iron base in the other?”

Nodding tersely, Edward went to do as he was bid. Lorne glanced over at him a few times, and it seemed the boy knew exactly what he was doing. He didn’t like including him, but he suspected the city would not let the boy leave now. It seemed that the rumors were true; there was a sentience about this place.

When Edward finished he came over and stood beside Lorne. “You’re trying to do the same thing, aren’t you? You’re trying to bring someone back. I’ve thought it over and I think it is the only reason you would attempt something likely to get you killed.”

With a grunt, Lorne finished the last line and stood, wiping his hands. “Yeah.”

Lorne turned and went to his bag, digging around in it for fire powder to be dropped along the outer perimeter of the chalking. He handed the corked jar to Elric. “Sprinkle a line of that along the edges.”

“Shouldn’t we lay down the salt within first?”

One eyebrow raised, head tilted, Lorne gave Elric a bemused look. “That will not protect us this time. This is far, far beyond salt rings. I hope you have good personal wards.”

“Who is it?” Elric asked as he delicately measured out the powder and lined the edges.

He had figured the boy wouldn’t let it drop. It was too personal and they had the desired end in common. “Magor Davis. He was one of my instructors. He was also my best friend.” The boy didn’t need to know more about THAT.

“What happened?”

“The usual end for one of our kind; a spell gone wrong. I lost him and my apprentice in the same working because my wards were not strong enough to protect them. Without him, there is little to keep me here any more.”

“You could take another apprentice.”

“I don’t want to be obligated.” Lorne waved a hand at the Great Ring, done with the reminders about Paul and… just done. “Let’s get started.”

Lorne dug into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a piece of parchment with sigils drawn upon it. He pointed to a glass-enclosed chamber on the level above them. “Go up the stairs to that chamber. You will find a table of crystals. When I say to start, press each of those sigils in order, it should wake the Great Ring.”

Once the Great Ring had woken, Lorne would bind the energy and channel it into his retrieval spell. He could only hope that Paul was intact, wherever he was. He started the weaving and began to chant. When he was close to the point where he needed to add the Great Ring’s energy, he looked up at Edward and nodded.

Blue lights appeared, circling the ring and stopping on a sigil that matched the first on the list he had given Elric. Good. This was good. He continued his working and watched the lights expectantly.

When the last sigil lit, Lorne took a deep breath and waited. The Great Ring sprang to life, a large whoosh of blue watery energy spewing forth in a flare and then receding. Lorne was relieved that he had chosen to set his chalking further back from the Great Ring, as he had no idea what the touch of that flare might have done to him. He waved for Edward to come back down.

When the boy had joined him, Lorne pointed to a piece of parchment within the scribing that was weighted down to the floor with a rock. Elric retrieved it and waited silently for the signal to begin reciting. He moved to a spot within the chalk marks that Lorne pointed him towards.

With a nod, he signaled to Elric to begin and then shifted his focus to drawing the power from the Great Ring and harnessing it. He let out a shout of pain and went to his knees as soon as the power washed over him. But his wards - honed and perfected since the loss of Paul - held true and he was able to continue the working. One hurdle behind him. He pulled in as much power as he could hold then began chanting the retrieval spell he had long ago memorized when he set out on this path. It would work in tandem with the words Edward was speaking. His focus of intent was different than young Elric’s. He wanted Magor Paul Davis. He concentrated on his beloved’s face, on the memory of him, on his need to have him back.

The tingling sensation he had felt since stepping onto the pier suddenly ceased. He felt a chill take the place of the minor warmth where it had been. A high pitched whine almost made him stop his chant, but he merely paused and then continued. Edward did the same. Another hole opened in the ceiling and a warm orange-yellow light came down. Within it stood a dark-haired woman dressed in flowing white. “Continue, Magor, please continue, this is as it should be.” She glided across the floor and touched a shimmering hand to Edward’s head, smiling warmly at him.

“Call your brother to you, Edward Elric. He will come.”

She moved to stand before Lorne. “So much power, come so late to my attention, far too late. I have used all, I have burned all, this is the end of my line.”

He couldn’t question her. He would have to stop chanting and that would break the spell. If Alphonse Elric or Paul were in transit, it would destroy them utterly. He tilted his head and hoped the question showed in his eyes.

Reaching out, she caressed Lorne’s face and he felt a familiar tingle on his skin where her fingers touched. This then was the manifestation of the presence he had felt, a physical form taken on; the Avatar of Lantea.

“I fear your sacrifice would be for naught, dear Lorne. The Law of Equivalent Exchange cannot hold, for you have far too much life and power in comparison to that which you seek to call to you. I see beyond the Stargate, I see what it is you and Edward Elric seek. It is a noble cause undertaken, both of you. But not a worthwhile sacrifice for you, Magor Lorne, I fear your love is lost.”

She gave him a sad look. She could not help but see the despair that must be written all over his features at her words. Then she turned to Edward. “But your brother’s sacrifice to let you live a full life should not be disregarded, Edward, your life should not be forfeit for his. This would not restore true balance. And so, I pay the Equivalent cost in your stead. I trade the remnants of my life force for the life of your brother Alphonse.”

As she made the declaration, she crouched down and swept up the two bowls of potion, pouring one into the other and swirling the bowl to mix them. She dropped the empty bowl and scooped up the silken bundle of ingredients made for the purpose and shredded the fabric to let the contents flutter into the liquid.

Lorne had taken a single step towards her, but could not cross the chalk lines while he was chanting without breaking this particular spell. Edward’s eyes were wide as he too was held in place by the constraints of the spell casting.

The bowl in the avatar’s hands began to glow and she shuddered once and looked skyward. Then she smiled and looked at Edward and Lorne. “Free now. Unbound. A life willingly released sets me free to follow the others. Edward, be happy. Evan, I thank you for your courage. Be wise, listen and live on.

She knew his true name. No one living knew his true name any longer. Come too late indeed. This avatar was truly a treasure lost. White light surrounded her, growing brighter and brighter as it flared outwards over the borders of the chalking. Blinded, Lorne was forced to look away. He peered out through his fingers and saw the light coalesce into a beautiful spidery form made of brilliant white light.

The same light spread over the floor, obscuring the chalking as well as Edward and Lorne’s feet. The hovering form spun in the air with what seemed like happy bounces and then spiraled once around Lorne before shooting through the Great Ring. The Great Ring went dark with a whooshing sound, jarring Lorne and throwing him to the floor with the sudden loss of the power that had been bracing him.

He blinked as he saw Paul, sprawled on the floor beside him. He scrambled over, running his hands over Davis’ face. Paul was fighting for breath. Lorne carefully put a hand under his shoulders and lifted him slightly. Paul coughed feebly and leaned towards Lorne.

“Paul. Paul, talk to me. Paul!” He spared a brief glance up to see that Edward was helping another boy to stand, presumably his brother. Then his focus became Paul once more.

Paul’s eyes fluttered open and he gave Lorne a wavering smile. “Ah, Evan,” he coughed again. “What did you do, my love… what did you do?”

“I tried to call you back. I can’t do this alone; I can’t go on without you.”

Trying, but failing to touch Lorne’s face, Paul’s hand rose and fell. Lorne grabbed it and held it to his cheek. It was cold. So cold.

“You have to go on, Evan. I’ve scryed into… the future. You have to go on. There is.. another great love… waiting for you. Let me go.” The words seemed to sap Paul of all his remaining strength, he sagged against Evan, who hugged him tightly, trying to will life into the form he could sense was almost at an end. He wasn’t that adept a healer; he couldn’t bring someone back that was this close to the edge. The Avatar of Lantea had known this, had warned him. A tear dripped down Lorne’s cheek as he was forced to see the truth. Paul was truly lost to him.

Struggling for breath, Paul went stiff in his arms. “Live, Evan. For me… live for me.” And then he said no more.

  
~*~   


The Elric brothers stood side by side, silently bearing witness as Magor Lorne touched the torch to the funeral pyre and stepped back. The Magor began to sing a traditional song of grief and mourning for the loss of a life partner. There was no magic in this. This was all ceremony, meant to sooth the living, to close the door on the past. The songs went on, and the boys eventually sat on the ground, leaning upon each other and watched the flames as they listened to the funeral music of another land.

By dawn’s light, the fire had burned out. Lorne approached the boys and shook them awake. Hoarsely he said, “I’ll walk you to the coach station. I’ve enough coin with me to pay your fares back to Amestris. That is the least I can offer to repay you for your help, Edward.”

There was nothing else to say as they walked to town. Lorne was lost in thought and the boys chatted happily about what they would do when they got home. He patted their shoulders and they climbed up onto the coach heading west. The last sight Magor Lorne had of Edward Elric was his boyish face peering out of the coach window as he gave a wave in farewell.

Having nothing else pressing to do with his time, Lorne watched the coach until it was out of sight.

He looked around at the town. What to do now? He had not planned past yesterday. He had not really believed he would be able to call Paul back, and truly had been prepared for death. He’d sold his house in town and left the proceeds with the depository, to be donated upon his death to help the widows and orphans of deceased Council members. The new owners were in residence. He would have to find somewhere else to live. Tonight, he would stay at the Council headquarters. There was time enough for other decisions tomorrow.

Walking down the road towards the Council House, he thought over Paul’s words. There was someone in his future? Paul had been adept at scrying, more successful than most at it. What had he seen? Had he written anything down? Lorne would need to go through the books he had put in storage, through Paul’s journals and spellbooks to see what he could find.

If nothing else, if Paul were to be believed, Lorne would have to be somewhat open to having someone new in his life. He wasn’t quite ready for that yet. But he needed to prepare himself for the possibility. Someday.

The End 


End file.
